Can I pray for you in any way?
Send
any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
In Christ, Mark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk
** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn
** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
2 Timothy 2:7
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Every day I go through the same routine as I get ready to receive the guidance of the Lord and provide these messages to you.
Of course, it begins with the Word itself as it is the foundation that every message is based on. Since 2007 when I felt the calling of the Lord to write through the Bible, I have gone verse by verse, starting in 2 Peter where I happened to be in study at the time and writing through Revelation before tackling the entire Old Testament and then the Gospels, Acts, and Paul’s epistles which has brought me to where I am now, 2 Timothy.
And so starting with the scriptures, I read the Word and then reflect on it, seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit in regard to what I should say to bring the verse or verses to life for the reader, ultimately expanding their understanding of what the Word means and how they can apply it to their life.
This reflection in the presence of the Holy Spirit is critical to anyone who is reading the Word or even hearing the Word being preached by others. For truth is only found by consulting the One who is truth and the Lord will always expose any attempts to bring false teaching to Christ believers.
Now, as we see in today’s scripture verse from 2 Timothy, an emphasis on the matter of self reflection isn’t just a 21st century methodology. Look at these words from Paul as he writes to his good friend and Gospel ministry partner:
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this (2:7).
Paul had dedicated a lot of time mentoring Timothy from the time he took him on his missionary team in Lystra (Acts 16:1-5) and as he writes this letter to him, Timothy has matured to the place of pastoring the Christian church in Ephesus. It was a major responsibility and one that was not free from challenges, chief of which was the attempt to introduce false teaching into the congregation. Now, more than ever, Timothy needed to show a steely resolve grounded in his faith in the Lord.
And so Paul exhorts Timothy to reflect on all he had just said to him in the previous verses of this chapter. This included:
1. Being strong in the grace found in Christ Jesus.
2. Training additional teachers so to have help presenting and preserving the true Gospel in the midst of attempts to distort it.
3. Be prepared to suffer for the Gospel as a soldier for Jesus who first suffered deeply to bring salvation to mankind.
4. To ensure he remained obedient to all the Lord demanded and expected, just as a soldier sought to please his commanding officer.
5. To carry out his ministry work for the cause of the Gospel with integrity, always following the rules so to receive a victor’s crown.
6. Finally, to remember that his labors for the cause of Christ were carried out with the hope of harvesting many new believers who would gain salvation, bring both God and the Gospel laborer rejoicing over the saving of a lost soul.
These were the things Paul asked Timothy to reflect on and, as an extension, I believe the Lord is asking us who are called to be evangelists through the Great Commission to reflect on as well. And as Timothy would reflect and we should reflect, we can always rely on the Lord’s insight as He provides us wisdom and counsel through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.
And with that, I conclude this time of reflection on verse 7 of 2 Timothy 2, giving thanks to the Lord for providing me this insight as I partnered with the Holy Spirit He sent to guide my words. Thanks be to God the many amazing gifts and blessings He bestows upon us.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment